Ammunition-shell.



PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

E. VON -RBICHENAU- AMMUNIToN SHELL. -MPIIGATION FILED JUNE 16, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

i; il', l

MTN E 5 5 E5 Unirse STATES D Patented March 8, 190%.

vPartnr @Friese ERNST VGN RECHENAU, 0F vDSSELDORF-OBERKASSEL, GERMANY.

Ait'iWUNITlON-SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,013, dated ilarch 8, 1904.

Application filed June 16, 1902.

Toba/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ERNs'r von REICHENAU, lieutenant-general, a subject of the German Emperor, residing at 30 Kaiser Wilhelm-Ring, Dsseldorf Oberkassel, Germany, have in- Vented certain new and useful Improvements in Ammunition-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

Before high explosives were used for charging shells a non-detonating powder of comparatively sow combustion was used. When these shells exploded, the scattering-angle Wassrnall, a result of the feeble effect of the powder as compared with that of the modern high explosives. l The comparatively. gradual combustion of the explosive, however, also retards the bursting of the shell, so that these sheils have the objection that when they strike on soft or ordinary ground they may bury themselves completely before they explode, so that the shot is more or less ineective. If such a shell were to strike the shield of a modern eld-piece, it would pass through the shield and pass a little beyond it before the explosioninduced by the concussion with the shield occurred, so that the bursting of the shell would happen behind the gunners. For shooting at men not under cover or only under indifferent cover such shells, in spite of their small scattering-angle, which is otherwise advantageous, are .of no use. In consequence for shooting at men not under cover shrapnel-shells have been used which have a small explosive charge, burst during their flight, and have a small scattering-angle, while in the high-explosive shells for use in iield artillery-.that is, for low trajectories and of caliberabout seventy inillimetersthe eXploT sive charge is made as great as possible to impart a wide scattering-angle to the pieces of the bursting shell in order that when tired with a time fuse the shell may be able to strike men immediately behind cover. 'lhe present detonating explosive shells have therefore a wide scattering-angle and are consequently not suitable as percussion-shells against men, for they have no penetration.

The present invention relates to a shell which fulfils the purposp of the old shrapnel, in that it is burst by the smallest possible explosive Serial No. 111,845. (No model.)

charge that will insure disruption in order that the pieces may have a small scattering angle and that penetration which has been Wanting in the high-explosive shells at present in use owing to their large charge. This penetration is essential for shooting men in the field not under cover or only under'light cover, such as a protective shield.

Unlike the shells charged with gunpowder referred to above the shells made according to the present invention, in consequence of the high-explosive charge selected for them, burst as soon as they strike the ground or a shield. The detonation of the explosive which immediately follows the concussion allows no time for the shell to enter the ground and the -pieces are projected in close proximity to each other and with a small scattering-angle1 or if the shell passes through a light cover, such as an armor-plate shield on a field-piece, the bursting happens directly it is through the shield and the pieces are projected with small deviation from the original line of lflight of the shot intothe midst of the gunners. shell in question, owing to its special construction, has also the property of the shrapnel of producing a strong development of smoke necessary for observing the point of explosion, which is indispensable for the use of the new shell in theiield.

Figures 1 and 2 are sections through ltwo forms of the shell made according to this invention.

a is an explosivecharge, small as compared with that used in the known explosive shells, but suiiicient for disruption of the shell. It is not contained as a short mass in the shell, but as a long cylinder, prism, or the like ex tending nearly the whole length of the shell and in the middle line thereof, so that the bursting of the shell is as nearly as possible uniform and effective pieces are scattered from the whole of it. Surrounding the cylinder the smoke-developer In is placed. This arrangement allows a considerable quantity of such developer to be used and insures that it is completely and certainly burned, for it is in intimate contact along its Whole inner surface" with the momentarily-acting flame ofthe explosive. The arrangement also produces a The IOO

comparatively Smell explosive eliiect, and therefore a smaii scattering-ingle of the pieces produced, accompanied by e thick cloud of smoke, it is especially to be noted that in allot of Small caliber-for example, under sii; centimeters-for which the aforeeaid construction is advantageous, asuiicient development of smoke for satisfactory observation is not obtained by the construction hitliertpo used,

in the accompanying drawings, @is the ex- ,ni e, and. Ff they Smoke-developer, both Snrrenndcd .by e casing of the usuel kind.

.c in the ignite?, which when the shot strikes iires. thecharge by inea .e of the igniting change 5.

ne weite of the sheli.

is smell explosive charge cnn; cylindri'cai charge a mid snrf. ignition charge d.

A. rrounding the explosive charge with the smoke-developer the arrangement be rcverscd-that ie to eey, the inner nner may contain the smoke-developer ne explosive charge nia-y surround it.

i lng new perticulnry described end certeineci the nature of my seid invention end in what manner the Seme is to be performed,

i declare .that what i ciaim is i fin :tn'nnunition-Shell comprinng e. sultabi f ng, e, high-explosive bursting' charge arranged within the casing und limited in.

amount to that necessary to burst the shell, whereby repid explosion is obtained and the fragments of siieil given e small scatteringnngle, and n smokegcnemting substance arranged 'within the cesingto be ignited by the explosion of the bursting charge.

2. An ammunition-shell comprising an outer casing, a higlrexploisive bursting charge errfinged centrally within' seid casing in the torni of n reativeiy long body and limited in :iinount to that necessary to burst the shell, and a smoke-generating substance arranged within seid casing and extei'iding concentric with end throughout the length of the bursting charge and adapted to be ignited by seid charge, Substantially es described, for the purpose set forth.

An znnmiinition-sixeii comprising e suitable (inning, n higli-expiosive bursting charge arranged Within the casing, and :i charge of smoke-generating en bstance sui teni y arranged within the casing to 'ne ignited by the expiosive meteiiati when tlxc latter explodes, for the purpose deem-ined. t

in testimony whereof i lieve ziiixed my signature presence of two Witnesses.

ERNST VON RECHENAU. iVitnessee:

PETER Linnen, ai/'nimma ESSENWEIN. 

